Those Annoying People!

Confession:  I am quick to judge. I have a visceral response to people I don’t like.  It’s a character trait I struggle with.  My roommates used to say they knew within seconds from my body language whether or not I liked someone.

We all encounter people we don’t particularly care for.  Who comes to mind?  Are they annoying, critical or opinionated?  Self-centered, lazy or needy?  What is it about them that bothers you? 

How about the person who has hurt us or offended one of our children?  We may not call them an enemy, but we certainly wouldn’t invite them to dinner.  They succeeded where we failed or spoke hurtful words.  We keep a close eye on them and watch our backs.

Jesus calls us to love these particular people.  Not just in theory but in action.  We are to serve them.  It’s easy to be kind to people we like.  Christians are called to be overtly loving to the rest.  That’s what we mean when we sing ‘they’ll know we are Christians by our love’ (go ahead, hum the song). Our love doesn’t make sense to non-Christians.  Our love stands out. Our love identifies us.

I like to think I have improved over the years at controlling my body language.  But that’s probably not true.  God has changed my heart to see His people differently.

John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”